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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — to bend
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. suit — to fit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — happy
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. content — the amount
  23. suit — in cards
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com